PeterW

The right kit, filters, good sky transparency and knowing the scale of object you’re expecting all help… aperture isn’t everything. Peter

Yes, like like both went pretty fast. PEter

The general rule is that if it’s not Gen3 then you’ll be disappointed. Camera based EEA and tracking mounts will be your best bet. The higher the Gen3 spec the narrow the filters and the better the result. That tax rate is painful, more so as NV is not cheap to start with and many countries face export restrictions. Peter

There is a very reasonably priced unit in the for sale forum. You could sell the odd body part that you don’t absolutely need 😉 GPS hasn’t really changed hugely, mostly the receivers(?), it’s been in operation something kg like 40years or more. Gen3 NV is nearing 30yrs old. can’t see the prices dropping… though thermal tech continues to drop in price the way that much other tech does. Peter

It appears better is possible, @GavStarhas stopped imagining. @Highburymarkatnleast you got gain control and a non-green view! Always keep an eye out for those”special” transparent nights when the nebulae put up less of a fight to being seen…. Peter

I concur, he’s got plenty more to go after https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/477453-h-beta-filter-is-it-any-good/?p=6232667#entry6232667 Peter

For centre focus you need to set the dolioptre adjust and then get the bandit on without it twisting anything, for Individual focus its plain annoying. The eyepieces are a bit bigger than some other bins, so it’s worse than other people might find. I use the bandits in the daytime on other binocukars and they’re very handy. Peter

That’s my sort of light pollution! Peter

“Worst LP direction”… the one streetlight within a dozen miles of you?! Have you tried filters to go after the harder times see nebulae? why trying to keep the cats in? If they want to stay out then more peace for you? Peter

I’ve had bandit issues with my IF 10x50, I have plans to deal with this by replacing the bandit which is otherwise very handy to improve the view. Peter

Great to hear you’ve got off to a good start with it! Peter

I’m enjoying the views with a 66mm and 80ED for spotting. You get wider views and higher mags than spotters…. Astro eyepieces are better and Zooms are a compromise. The downside is that one thinks twice before lugging the extra weight. Peter

… delivered by Santa? Peter

Not huge sums as the filters I originally bought were not the highest spec ones. As you can store pairs of 1.25” filters in small boxes it takes up a lot solace than eyepiece pairs! Peter

…. Like eyepieces I have several pairs of filters now… though I am trying to ”optimise” (read get rid of the ones I don’t absolutely need). By wedging 1.25” filters into the eyecups with 5mm foam sheet it saves me needing to buy any 2” filters! Peter

I was using OIII I think, saw it from Esher too. With bins you need to get things in pairs! Peter

https://las-astro.org.uk/docs/Loughton_List_v2_0.pdf Make sure you have straylight shielding and use an observing hood or similar to keep the direct lights out of your eyes so you can improve your dark adaption. I can see bits of the Veil nebula with binoculars under conditions worse than where @Captain Magenta used to live… 🙂 Peter

3x is super easy to use. What’s wrong with the “pirate scope”look? I have an 80mm and it’s fine to sweep about. You don’t want to make the view too stable, a bit of wobbling makes the nebulae easier to see. Peter

Good to hear it’s been of interest. I live under ugh skies, so plan to throw all the filtration I can…. Peter

ED just refers to the use of low dispersion glass (fluorite or other) that help optical designers make systems that can deliver chromatic aberration free views… how it’s used, what materials etc vary widely and how “colour free” does too…. Best to see what people think of specific products as to how well they perform. Peter

You may want to add a larger exit pupil and more aggressive filtration… https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/722322-pushing-the-filter-envelope-observing-galactic-nebulae-with-handheld-binoculars-under-suburban-skies/ Peter

Think of the exit pupil, sometimes you want to maximise for a brighter view, not just add aperture which just changes the scale. What sized stuff are you after? Would you also be better suited with a smaller set for larger objects? Peter

I have the 79mm 45degree as I wanted it for daytime backpack able use… lovely wide, high power views. My choice was made by the size of backpack I had and my desire for carrying heavy things long distances. for purely nighttime I would go 90 degree, though with a little contortion I can get pretty much to the zenith. I use a medium camera tripod and fluid head that I adjust the locking on to hold things in place. Likely under mounted, but it works fine for giving me nice views and avoids the need for a parallelogram the size and weight of a small battleship. there is a “centre mount” that APM sell and that can be popped onto a tripod and hold these types of binocular, seems interesting but I’ve not found too many reviews of it. makensure you have some budget for eyepieces…. You’ll be needing pairs of them which can get costly quickly. Peter

Good to hear things have settled down. I once disassembled a pair of wonky bins, reassembled (no collimation twiddling) and it magically was fixed…. Great when it happen. Enjoy the view! Peter

Secondhand kit is in the 2-3k range and continues to be. The prices for new high end stuff are nuts, but lower end stuff will still show plenty. Peter